Free French

Free French

(La France Libre), until July 1942, the official name of the World War II movement under General C. de Gaulle; its goal was the liberation of France from the fascist German invaders and their minions. In July 1942, as the anti-Hitlerite struggle gained momentum, the Free French took the name “Fighting French” (La France Combattante). The headquarters of the Free French was in London.

As the nation collapsed and the Nazis marched on the capital, de Gaulle and a clique of loyal officers flew to London with a large amount of cash and slowly established a patchwork Free French government in exile.

Its rejection by de Gaulle was just another in the string of disappointments she suffered during the last eight months of her life when she was working as a kind of in-house philosopher with the Free French.

This tribute to the official leader of the Free French movement, who kept the bond between Britain and France alive in the early 1940s, when Nazi Germany menaced Europe and the British Isles, was largely ignored by the British government, media, and general public.

General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, said in a broadcast to the nation: "I wish simply from the bottom of my heart to say to you: Vive Paris!" After the surrender, American and Senegalese troops marched triumphantly down the Champs Elysee to ecstatic cheers.

Prince Charles and the president laid wreaths at the statue of the General in Carlton Gardens - near the office once used as the headquarters of the Free French. The Prince's wreath said: "In special memory of Franco-British solidarity 70 years ago."

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.